Habit of keeping feet on your car's dashboard? It could prove disastrous

A US woman had suffered injuries on the nose and face and was left with a broken ankle, femur and arm when the airbags exploded after a crash

In a warning the Chittanuga Fire Department asked travellers to refrain from the habit (Pic: Chittanuga Fire Department)

Moneycontrol News

Do you or your family members have a habit of keeping legs at the dashboard of the car while on the road? It is time to let go of the habit as soon as possible.

In cases of crash, airbags deploy at speed between 160 to 354 kilometres per hour which could "send your knees through your eye sockets" says new warnings issued by fire departments in the US.

A post on Facebook by the Department reads: "Something You Need to Know....While traveling this weekend, I noticed many passengers had their feet on the dashboard of their car. Airbags deploy between 100 & 220 MPH. If you ride with your feet on the dash and you're involved in an accident, the airbag may send your knees through your eye sockets. This post was viewed thousands of times last year, but it's worth repeating. And yes, the driver and passenger should also be wearing seat belts too!"

In an incident which happened two years ago was shared by the Fire Department where a woman had suffered injuries on the nose and face. The accident also left her ankle, femur and an arm broken by the impact.

“The airbag went off, throwing my foot up and breaking my nose. I was looking at the bottom of my foot facing up at me,” CBS News quoted the victim Audra Tatum in a recent interview.

Even after two years, Audra cannot walk without a limp and cannot stand for more than four hours at a time which makes her job and daily chores difficult for her.